Friday: Greg Laswell @ Rumba Cafe

There’s something about passionate British artists that American songwriters just can’t seem to capture within their songs. When you hear Snow Patrol or Coldplay, you KNOW they are British bands – they just have that overly dramatic sound. Greg Laswell is from … California (!!!) … but somehow he pulls off that soundtrack-style music. It’s touchy, it’s dramatic, it’s custom-made for network TV dramas (on which Laswell’s music gets plenty of exposure).

On his fifth release, Landline, Laswell tried something a little different – he invited female singers to accompany him on fourth of the tracks. His wife, Ingrid Michaelson, appears on the title track, Sia sings on “Dragging You Around”, Sara Bareillas swaps lines with Laswell on “Come Back Down”, and Elizabeth Ziman (Elizabeth and the Catapults) – Laswell’s tour partner on his current tour – is featured on “Back to You”.